


What's in a Name?

by Ultra



Category: Hart of Dixie
Genre: Almost Kiss, Awkward Flirting, Cute, Drinking & Talking, Drunkenness, Embarrassment, Extended Scene, F/M, Friendship/Love, Funny, Laughter, Pre-Relationship, Season/Series 01, Talking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-18
Updated: 2018-08-19
Packaged: 2019-06-29 07:41:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,518
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15724974
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ultra/pseuds/Ultra
Summary: Zoe feels she won't be happy until she comes up with a new last name. Of course, Wade's going to like her just the same no matter what she calls herself, if only she would notice. [Set in 'Tributes & Triangles' and 'Heart to Hart']





	1. Part 1 of 2

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fic for Hart of Dixie, so all I can hope is that it doesn’t completely suck! lol
> 
> I only discovered the show recently so I’m still getting a feel for the characters, but I really love Zoe/Wade and I just got a yen to write them, so here goes nothing! :)

“Zoe Scotch. Zoe Scott. Oh, whatever.” Zoe waved away another round of ridiculous name ideas and pushed her glass forward for Wade to pour her a shot. “Why is it so hard to pick a last name? There’s plenty of them,” she muttered.

“You okay?” asked Wade, narrowing his eyes at her.

“I am great,” she said too definitely, and they both knew it. “As are you, I'm guessing. What’s with the song?”

“I said I would write a tribute to the Golden Boy. I wrote a tribute to the Golden Boy,” said Wade, drinking down his shot and immediately pouring another. “The upstanding citizen from the upstanding family who’s made all the right... upstanding decisions his whole life. I just hope it tops your speech,” he added with a smirk he couldn’t help.

Zoe said nothing as they both drank and then she sighed.

“I hate small towns.”

“Yeah, most people would've given up on him when they found out he had a fiancée.”

There was a chance Wade sounded bitter when he said it and there was a reason for that, he just wasn’t so sure Zoe would be interested in hearing it, even if he had a mind to tell her. One more shot and he might just develop a mind to.

“Not me,” she admitted, matching him drink for drink. “Mmhmm, the more unavailable they are, the better I like them. There’s probably a book on it. Daddy Issues for Dummies. Hey, thanks, Dad. No, _Dr. Hart,_ for another life lesson,” she said to no-one who was actually there. “You know, my mom gave me his number. Maybe I should call him and thank him for the gift that keeps on giving. Thank you,” she said, nodding at Wade for the next drink and swallowing it whole.

She was hurting. He thought he was hurting too. Actually, he knew he was, but it was worse to see her in pain. Wade never really understood the whole being in love thing, but he’d lay every cent he had on this being it, for all the good that’d do him.

“Come on, Doc,” he said, watching her lean back in the chair, the alcohol all hitting home at once. “It's not that he’s emotionally unavailable that makes you love George Tucker. It’s the fact that he’s George Tucker.”

Now that definitely came out bitter, and with a side of venom to boot. Wade would blame the booze but he doubted that was it. He could feel and sound just the same sober these days. This was what George Tucker and Zoe Whatever-Her-Last-Name-Was-Gonna-Be had reduced him too. Man, he hated that.

“I don’t _love_ George Tucker,” said Zoe, rolling her eyes. “I mean, not really. I just... I don’t know,” she complained, reaching for the bottle to pour another drink. “Why are things so complicated?”

“Don’t have to be,” Wade told her, shaking his head. “Maybe you’re making it all tougher than it needs to be.”

“Like I meant to have feelings for good old Golden Boy George Tucker,” she said, bursting into a fit of giggles when she realised how stupid that sounded. “Now you have me calling him that.”

“Ought to be his official name these days.” Wade laughed along with her, mostly just glad to see her happier than before.

“If you’re so good at names, help me find one for me,” she insisted, pushing her pointer finger into the table top for emphasis. “I need a last name, mister. Help me with that. Ooh, I like Iron Man. Maybe Zoe Downey Jr,” she tried, laughing like a crazy person at her own joke.

“You are drunk, girly girl,” Wade told her, laughing just the same.

“Maybe, but I’m not the only one,” she reminded him, watching him tip the bottle and find barely enough scotch for one shot trickle out. “Huh,” she said sadly, since the last of the booze was in his glass.

“Chivalry ain’t dead, Doc,” he told her, offering her the final measure.

She reached to take the glass from him, their fingers brushing as he handed it over. Zoe wasn’t sure why she hesitated in drinking it. After all, it was only Wade. It wasn’t as if she was going to catch cooties from his glass or anything. Maybe it was just the way he was looking at her that made her nervous. He had a habit of doing that sometimes.

Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and downed the last shot.

“Atta girl,” said Wade, grinning when she looked at him again.

Zoe slammed the glass onto the table and fell back in her chair, comfortably drunk and perfectly giggly because of it. She did not mind the feeling one little bit. Didn’t mind the company either.

“Zoe Glass,” she said, looking at the coffee table and its contents. “Zoe Wood. Zoe Rug,” she continued, eyes wandering around the room, giggling increasing as she made her ridiculous suggestions. “Zoe Plant. Zoe Guitar. Zoe Kinsella.”

Her hand clamped over her mouth the moment she said those words, especially when she saw the shocked look come over Wade’s face. The laughter bubbled up in her throat one more time and burst out unbidden.

“I don’t know why I said that,” she admitted, words a little obscured by her hand yet. “Wow, that would be weird. People might think I was your sister.”

“Or my wife.”

That time it was Zoe’s turn to look shocked, though Wade looked equally as startled by his own words somehow. He clearly hadn’t meant to say it or at least didn’t intend it the way it came out. Zoe felt her cheeks burning and only hoped she could blame the booze for that. She doubted it was the truth but it made a handy excuse if she needed it.

“Is it me or is it getting hotter in here?” she asked, staggering to her feet and making for the door.

Zoe stood in the open doorway, breathing as deeply as she could, knowing she should probably just leave, and yet she didn’t dare, unsure if her legs would carry her after all the scotch, and everything else besides. She didn’t know that Wade had followed her until he spoke, making her physically jump.

“Zoe?”

She turned around so fast, her legs nearly went from under her. If not for Wade’s hands catching a firm hold of her, she definitely would have landed on her ass.

“I’m sorry,” she said, not even entirely sure what she was apologising for.

Honestly, she wasn’t sure about much of anything when she looked up and met Wade’s eyes. He really was a good-looking guy and as sweet as anything when he wanted to be. She could really talk to him when she needed someone to just listen, knowing he wouldn’t mind, sure that he wouldn’t judge. He made her laugh too, even when he was driving her crazy. She actually kind of liked when he drove her crazy.

All of these thoughts swimming around in Zoe’s brain made her dizzy, but they also made her wonder why she was ever having those feelings for George Tucker. Wade had just as many good qualities as George, maybe more, and he was right here. Couldn’t be more ‘right here’ if he tried right now.

“You know,” he said softly, one hand rising to gently push her hair back from her face, “I got nothing against Lemon as such, but George Tucker is a damn fool to look at the choices he has and make the one he’s making.”

Zoe wasn’t sure what she was supposed to say to that. There were a lot of things she could say and yet none of the words would form into sentences and make it out of her mouth. Maybe it was the alcohol. Maybe it was just the way Wade was looking at her... again. Just when she thought maybe she knew how to respond, he turned away.

“Well, I gotta go,” he muttered, moving to grab his guitar. “I gotta go serenade Golden Boy, okay? So, please, excuse me.”

“Right, sure,” said Zoe, clearing her throat and trying to snap herself out of a daze. “Uh, you have fun with that.”

Wade shot her a smile as he squeezed by her to get to the door. He was half way out when Zoe called to him.

“Oh, hey!” she said, not entirely sure what she meant to say when Wade turned back to look at her, until suddenly the funniest thought popped into her head. “I just thought of a great rhyme for Tucker.”

She met Wade’s eyes and they both bust up laughing. Two minds, one thought, and it was pretty funny.

“I might just use that yet!” Wade told her, pointing a finger right at Zoe and continuing to laugh loudly as he finally left.

At least the joke had broken the tension and Zoe was glad about that. The last thing she wanted was an atmosphere between her and Wade... again. She just couldn’t handle that on top of everything else, including the hangover she was bound to have by morning!


	2. Part 2 of 2

It had been a hell of a couple of days, but in the end, things had turned out okay. Zoe felt happy and comfortable with the way things were as she sat out on the porch, staring up at the stars. She should go to bed already, she knew that, but it just seemed such a shame to waste a sky like that.

“Hey, Doc.”

Zoe’s smile grew when she heard his voice calling her. She looked over to watch him approaching from around the other side of the lake.

“Good evening, Wade,” she greeted him politely, catching sight of the glass in his hand. “You and booze seem to come as a package deal lately, huh?”

“I work in a bar,” he told her, with a look that told her she had just said something stupid by his reckoning.

“You weren’t tending bar when you were filling me full of scotch the other day,” she reminded him.

“Hey, I didn’t invite you to that party,” he pointed out, climbing the stairs to almost the top and leaning back against the rail. “Not that you weren’t welcome, of course,” he told her, placing the glass of pink cocktail on the table right by her hand.

“And this drink is because...?” she asked, staring at it curiously.

“You liked it at the Rammer Jammer.” Wade shrugged like it was nothing. “Figured after the day you had, dealing with your father and all, maybe you could use a little something.”

He never ceased to amaze her. Zoe looked at Wade and she had trouble figuring out how this was the same guy she met a few months ago. He could still drive her crazy, no doubt about that, but somehow, she knew if she was in trouble or she needed someone, he would be there.

“You’d have my back in a knife fight,” she said, with a smile she hardly knew she was wearing.

“What?” asked Wade, amused by words he clearly didn’t remember speaking.

Zoe shook her head.

“Nothing. Thanks for the drink anyway, but dealing with my dad actually wasn’t so bad in the end,” she explained. “We figured things out.”

Wade nodded his understanding and yet still looked oddly uncomfortable just standing there. Zoe wondered why but never got a chance to ask.

“And, er... you figure things out with the Golden Boy too?” Wade checked, looking everywhere but at Zoe.

It was easier that way, he had found, though not a lot easier. The idea of George Tucker choosing Zoe over Lemon made Wade feel sick. In fact, if it ever did happen he might just throw himself in the lake and hope not to surface. God only knew how he had come to feel so much for Zoe Hart, but damn it, he couldn’t help it anymore.

“You know, what? I think it’s about time that I gave up any weird daydreams I’ve been harbouring about George Tucker,” she said, not even noticing how easily she got Wade’s attention as she reached for her drink and took a sip. “I mean, don’t get me wrong, he’s a nice guy, lots of great qualities, but he’s really not so special. The truth is, he was just the first guy I met here, and he was nice to me and... and he was one teeny tiny link back to New York that I could find here,” she explained. “But hey, I’m a Bluebell girl now,” she said, smiling overly much at Wade. “So, here’s to being over Golden Boy George Tucker,” she said, toasting the decision and taking another long sip.

Wade felt the huge grin spreading across his lips and couldn’t bring himself to try and hide it. Even if he wanted to, he wasn’t sure he ever could. Man, did it ever feel good to hear Zoe say she was done with George Tucker. Okay, so she wasn’t exactly choosing Wade instead, not yet, but she could, maybe, sometime soon.

“My God, that is delicious,” Zoe declared of the drink her hand, though actually all that was left now was an empty glass. “What is it anyway? What do you call it?”

“Just something I came up with. Secret recipe, of course,” Wade told her, arms folded across his chest as he looked more than a little self-satisfied and for more than one reason too. “As for the name, well...” he considered it. “It’s pink and pretty, short measure but it really packs a punch,” he said with a grin. “I figured I’d call it... Zoe Hart.”

It was something special to see and hear her laugh like that and know he caused it. Maybe it was just about the corniest thing Wade ever could’ve said, but that was okay. He could do corny. He could do anything if it made Zoe happy, if it meant she would look at him just like that.

“Thank you,” she said, getting up from her seat and moving to stand right in front of him.

His being down a step or two on the stairs made them the same height, and Zoe easily leaned into Wade, planting a quick kiss on his lips. Right after, she wondered if she was being foolish to do that, or maybe she was more foolish for letting it be the only kiss they shared tonight. Zoe shook her head before she went too far down a road she wasn’t ready for, at least, not yet.

“You’re a good man, Wade Kinsella,” she told him, her hand briefly squeezing his shoulder. “Thank you, again. Goodnight,” she finished with a smile as she turned and went inside.

“Goodnight, Zoe Hart,” he called behind her just as she passed through the door.

“ _Dr._ Zoe Hart,” she corrected him, never even glancing back.

Wade smiled and shook his head, muttering to himself as he headed back to the gatehouse. “Well, what’s in a name, anyhow?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At this point, I’ve only seen 18 episodes of Hart of Dixie, and I’m trying to avoid spoilers for all that I haven’t seen, so while I will be extremely grateful for any comments I might get on this story (not that I’m expecting any but still) I would appreciate no comments that might spoil me for the rest of the series. Many thanks in advance :)


End file.
